Stay Just a Little While
by Siancore
Summary: Our survivors have settled into a safe-zone and have been allocated shared housing. While Michonne isn't sharing with Rick and the children, he has asked her to stay with him a little while.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

A/N: I know I should be updating _Fifteen Years Ago_ instead of starting new stories, but I'm feeling inspired and I have the flu and it's so hot here in Aus and I can't sleep so I wrote this. Ha! Enjoy!

xXxXx

_Presently…_

Michonne yawned loudly over the cheerful voices of her friends; Rick noticed immediately and glanced over to where she was seated on the floor next to him. They all sat around the living room of the house that Rick, his two children and Noah had been allocated at the Safe Zone. It had been three days since they had arrived, and while each survivor had been offered shared living quarters, Rick thought it best that they all remain together at a central location for safety reasons; at least for the time being. They had used the time to get to know a few of the other residents in the settlement, but even so, they were all going to spend one more evening at what was now known as 'Rick's Place'; their unofficial headquarters.

It was still relatively early in the evening and the group were finishing off the remains of their supper while amicably conversing in the comfort and safety of the small two-storey house. Michonne, Sasha and Daryl had spent the better half of the day readying their new residence for the following day when they were officially set to move in. The survivors were grouped and housed in the following manner; Rick, Carl, Judith and Noah; Michonne, Sasha and Daryl; Glenn, Maggie and Tara; Carol, Tyreese, Rosita and Abraham; and Eugene and Gabriel.

All the newcomers had to do was help to fortify the walls that surrounded the roughly three by four blocks of cleared suburban neighbourhood and clean out the available houses and they were allowed to stay in them. It was easy work for the hardened group, even Eugene and Gabriel had learned some skills from their time on the road with Rick's group.

Michonne yawned again and this time Rick leaned toward her and spoke.

"You ready to turn in for the night?" He asked.

"Yeah, I think so; was a long day. You want me to take Judy up?" Michonne queried.

Rick nodded before answering.

"Put her in the boys' room. I'll be up there shortly."

xXxXx

Since they had arrived, and Rick made it known that he wished for the group stay together for a while, Michonne had shared a small double bed with him in what was his new bedroom. The people in the new community had provided Judith with a portable crib and the three of them settled into the space. Carl and Noah shared the second bedroom; each having their own beds. They seemed to like the arrangement and Rick thought it was good for Carl to have someone closer to his age around, someone that he could relate to in a different way. Once they considered it, it actually made sense that the youngest members of their group should stay under the same roof.

xXxXx

_The first night…_

The sleeping situation with Rick and Michonne happened quite organically; he offered her his bed while he stayed up and undertook sentry duty. The house was overcrowded and he thought that offering her a comfortable place to rest was the most gentlemanly thing to do; he could not have her sleeping on the floor when he had a perfectly private room with a perfectly cosy bed in it. Michonne somewhat hesitantly accepted his offer, took Judith with her and drifted off into a light sleep. Some time later, Rick slipped into the sheets beside her after he had taken first watch.

She woke with a start when she sensed that there was movement beside her; she instinctively sat up and her lethargy yielded to her innate vigilance.

"It's fine, Michonne; it's only me." Rick whispered in the darkened room. "Sorry to wake you, go on back to sleep."

"You don't want me to leave?" She asked quietly, eliciting a small and dubious chuckle from Rick.

"No. Of course not, please, just stay." Said Rick.

"Alright, just a little while." She proffered.

"I ain't gonna try anything on you." He then joked.

_Unless you want me to, _he thought secretly, but did not give voice to this thought.

"Okay. Well, maybe next time then."

"Uh?" He asked, unsure of if he had heard her correctly.

Michonne yawned before speaking once more.

"Nothin'. Goodnight, Rick."

"G'night, Michonne." Came his reply.

xXx

It felt strange, Michonne thought, having Rick lying next to her, so close. Somehow, she was not tired anymore; his proximity awakened her senses and she just could not switch them off. Every so often, Rick would shift in order to get comfortable, and in doing so, he would brush against her. At first she had assumed it was accidental, when his arm lightly touched her back, and maybe it had been; but Rick, it seemed, was having trouble drifting off. Each time he moved, he would come into contact with Michonne ever so slightly. It was quite easy for his leg to touch hers or his shoulder to softly nudge her given that the bed was so small.

Rick realized instantly that his tiredness had dissipated once he and Michonne had bid each other goodnight. He was wide awake and he knew it was down to the fact that there was a beautiful woman lying next to him in bed. It was not just any woman who was so close to him that he could hear her gentle breathing, it was _her_, it was Michonne. Rick thought about saying something to her, but he honestly had nothing to say. Besides, it was the middle of the night and he was not certain she was even awake. She smelled of apple-scented shampoo and soap and Rick made up his mind then and there that _that_ was his new favourite aroma.

xXx

Michonne tried to make her breathing sound slow and quiet as she lay still next to Rick; she was almost scared that he would be able to hear her heart beating loudly in her chest. She silently had to tell herself to stop being so silly and snap out of it; to ignore how a small touch from him caused a tingling sensation to dance over her skin. All she could think of was how she wanted to turn around and face him; how it would be so easy for her to reach over and place a tentative arm over his waist. She thought about how badly she wanted to press her mouth to his; how it would feel to have his body on top of hers. How he would feel inside of her. How was she ever going to get any rest that night, she mused; just the mere presence of Rick lying right next to her was enough to send her imagination into overdrive. She felt her body responding to thoughts of Rick's body and suddenly the room had become to grow warmer as her extremities heated up.

xXx

The heat from Michonne's form was starting to distract Rick; he had already given up on the notion of sleep that evening. How could he sleep knowing that she was right there? He realized that it would be quite easy for him to rouse her from her slumber and do what he had been thinking about doing for some time. He could easily kiss her, just like he always wanted to do. All he had to do was reach his hand over and touch her; give her a gentle shake to wake her and then make up for interrupting her dreams with a kiss.

He imagined what her full lips would feel like on his mouth and on his skin and then basically all over his body. He wondered what her lips would feel like wrapped around his…

_Stop! _ He thought. _She's my friend; I shouldn't be thinking of her like that!_

Rick rubbed his hands over his face and sat up slowly; he swung his feet to the floor and found his flashlight. He did not turn it on until he had reached the adjoining bathroom and closed the door quietly; he sat the light on the vanity. He could still smell the faint scent of apples and soap from when she had used his shower earlier; he smiled to himself a little.

Rick turned on the faucet and let the cool water run over his hands; he then splashed his bearded face and looked in the mirror.

_Really? _He thought to himself. _Like she'd really wanna kiss me with this on my face._

Rick reached for a towel on the rack, but his hand came in contact with a garment of clothing that was not nearly as soft as one of the towels they had found in one of the closets. Rick looked, squinted then used the flashlight to see what he was actually looking at properly; it was Michonne's jeans. They were folded neatly and tucked into the towel rack, right next to a dark blue bra.

_Okay, _he thought nodding to himself; _She ain't got all of her clothes on. She's in bed next to me, and she ain't fully dressed. _

Rick exhaled loudly, closed his eyes tight and then shook his head; he knew he would have to crawl back into the bed and try to ignore the fact that Michonne was only wearing panties and a tank top. The most flimsy pieces of fabric were all that was between Rick and Michonne's most secret and sensitive areas. He knew that this revelation would ensure that sleep would not find him swiftly or effortlessly now.

"Shit."

He whispered to himself as he realized he was going to be in for a long night.

* * *

><p>AN: Wish I had a good reason to keep me up at night, but nope; it's just the poxy flu! Lol

Will Rick go back in and wake Michonne up?

Will he realise she's hot and bothered just like he is?

Is she even wearing panties?

These and other important questions will be answered when I return with the next instalment.

More to come!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Oh wow! The feedback on this one has been great. Thank you to all of those people who read, reviewed, followed and favourited. Thanks to everyone who wished me well, I am feeling a tad better now.

Here are some responses:

Rebecca: Thanks so much for your kind words; sometimes I feel like I'm inundating the Richonne tag with my fics, but then someone comes along and gives me a nice compliment and I feel better about it! Lol

lanie-love09: I didn't make you wait too long this time! Enjoy!

Nadineoo: Rick is a gentleman so I wanted to show what was going on in his head while he figured out what to do next.

Flyin'ByTheSeat: Haha sorry to torture you too!

Alex311: You're always so perceptive (is it because you read it three times already? Lol) and I really do hope Noah gets to stick around for a while in the show. Rick is so easy to write for me, maybe because I love how Andrew Lincoln portrays him; but either way, I'm glad you like how I write him. Oh and I did want it to feel sexy without them actually doing anything because that's the exact vibe I get from watching them now!

HeartoSteel: Thank you! Everything about Richonne is adorable to me! Lol

Khaz'Dynn: Glad you've enjoyed what I came up with so far.

literaturechick: Hey, my dad always says that about time not waiting! It's so true…what will Rick do? Hehe

* * *

><p><em>Presently…<em>

Michonne hugged Judith closely as she made her way upstairs; the small child was drifting off into sleep as they entered Carl and Noah's room. Michonne noticed right away that someone had placed Judith's crib in a once vacant corner.

_Rick._ She thought to herself, as she kissed Judith's chubby face and placed her down for the night. He had already arranged for them to be completely alone in his bedroom that night. She realized that it really might happen; there was a huge possibility that something physical would transpire between them. Suddenly, Michonne's face felt warm and her stomach began to do little flips; she knew that she was in for another restless night with Rick Grimes.

Rick tried his best not to seem fidgety while he waited downstairs still talking to the rest of the group after Michonne took Judith to bed. He wondered if she would take the hint when she noticed the crib was in the boys' room; she would have to know he wanted them to share his bed, just the two of them, in private with no other distractions. Rick just hoped that, after last night, this was what she wanted too; he knew he was eager for something more, he just hoped she was as well.

_The Second Day…_

The bedroom was still somewhat dark when Rick awoke early the next morning. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as they focussed on the wall before him. It had been so long since he had woken up in a comfortable bed and he wanted nothing more than to stay there and drift off again; realistically, he had only gotten a few hours of solid rest because his mind and body were so preoccupied by thoughts of a certain woman who was lying next to him. As Rick began to awaken properly and get his bearings about him, he noticed that Michonne's arm was draped over him; she was curled up behind him and was holding him in a lose hug. Her head was rested behind his and he could hear her soft, easy breathing; she was still fast asleep.

Michonne's chest was pressed against his back and Rick relished in her embrace; this was as close as they had ever been and he felt as if his senses were on fire as he felt a stirring in his pants. He was definitely awake now and smiled to himself. He had no idea Michonne was the cuddling type; it must have happened when they were both sleeping deeply, he reasoned, because he would have definitely felt her touch if he were awake.

All he had to do was roll over and face her, he thought; he could leave her arm wrapped around him and let her discover the rest for herself. He knew she would wake up if he moved, so why not wake her up so she could see what she was doing to him; how his body had responded to a simple and inadvertent embrace from her.

Rick's breathing became heavy as he imagined Michonne becoming aware of his growing arousal; he imagined her running her hand down the front of his body until she reached his manhood. He would not stop her from touching him; Rick was certain that in that moment, Michonne could do whatever she wanted to him and he would gladly take it.

Rick shifted slightly and caused Michonne to mumble something unintelligible while she gripped his waist tighter and threaded her legs through his own; her feet becoming entwined with his as she gently rubbed her toes on his. She was still asleep, but she was not letting him move. He wondered what would happened if he did try to face her. Slowly, Rick rolled on to his back, eliciting more mumbling from Michonne as she hugged him tighter still. He moved his arm so that her head could rest on it and she snuggled closer to him and threw her leg over him. She accidently brushed his groin area and he had to stifle a loud moan at the contact.

He did not want to move, but he could not stay like this, could he? Rick lifted his head, raised the sheet a little and noticed that the leg that was draped over him was bare. He was tempted to place his hand on her thigh but thought better of it. Instead he reached over and hugged her waist, causing her to move closer to him. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing; he would wait for Michonne to wake up and take it from there.

xXx

Michonne woke up and came to her senses quickly as the bedroom was filling with morning light; she could feel Rick's warm body against hers as she clung to him loosely. She lifted her head and saw that he was lying with his eyes shut. She knew he was awake because from all the time they had spent together, from all of the rough sleeping, when Rick had really given in to his lethargy he snored slightly as he slept.

Shyness quickly encompassed Michonne as she realized she had draped both her arm and leg over Rick; her face began to burn as she tried to pull away from him without alerting him. She knew it was a pointless exercise considering Rick was just pretending to be asleep.

"Good morning, Rick." She whispered and he opened his eyes to glance at her with a smile.

"Mornin'." Was his cheerful reply.

She shifted, drew her body from his and leaned on her elbow.

"Sorry 'bout that. Should've warned you that I'm a cuddler." She offered sheepishly. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

Rick chortled and rolled onto his side so that he was facing Michonne directly and mirrored her; suddenly, she became very aware of how close their faces were.

"It's fine. Maybe I didn't wake you 'cause I was enjoyin' the cuddle." He answered playfully, a smirk on his face.

Michonne's face grew warmer still and she averted her eyes, thinking of what to say in reply to his flirting; she could think of nothing, so looked coyly back at Rick and smiled slightly. They held each other's gaze for a moment longer before Rick took it upon himself to break the silence.

"It was a real nice cuddle." He started before looking at her lips and asking: "but you know what would be better?"

Michonne felt fluttering in her stomach at the anticipation.

"What's that?" She asked quietly.

"If I could get a kiss to go with the cuddle." Rick said as he reached his hand to her face and brushed back a stray loc.

Michonne bit her bottom lip and then moved toward Rick; he used his hand to cup the side of her face as their mouths met in a soft peck that soon turned into a full, deep kiss. Rick pulled Michonne closer so that she hovered over him while their lips and tongues clashed again and again.

_Tap tap tap…_

Came the slight rapping at Rick's bedroom door; Michonne broke their kiss and tried to pull away from Rick. He looked at her, shook his head and then placed his finger over his now swollen lips in an effort to get her to remain quiet. She covered her own mouth to stifle a giggle that was threatening to erupt at his adorable antics.

_Tap tap tap…_

"Dad?" Carl called out as Rick and Michonne heard the doorknob turn rapidly. "Dad, unlock the door. I need to use the bathroom."

Michonne frowned at Rick, sat up and swung her legs out of the bed; then she remembered she had no jeans on.

"Hold on Carl, won't be a sec." She called out as she raced to grab her pants and put them back on.

"Michonne?" The boy asked. "What are you guys doin' in there? Where's my dad?"

She quickly did up her zipper then skipped over to let the teenager into the room. Carl gave his father and friend a suspicious look but he had to get to the toilet before he could question them.

"What's wrong with the other toilet?" Rick called out, somewhat annoyed that they'd been interrupted.

Carl answered but Rick could not make out what his son had said.

"What'd he say?" He asked Michonne who was already putting her boots on.

"Eugene's in there droppin' bombs in the bowl."

Was her answer as she smiled and looked at Rick who was still in the bed; he laughed and motioned for her to sit next to him. Michonne took up a place next Rick as he sat up and grinned at her. He brushed her hair away from her shoulder and pressed his lips to the exposed skin; then they both shared a gentle, languid kiss before Michonne got up to grab Judith who had started to make tiny noises from her crib.

Michonne hugged the baby before searching for the bag that contained her diapers; Rick watched them and thought about how it all seemed so domestic.

"This is great." He finally said.

"What's great?"

She asked with a smirk before placing Judith down on the bed and preparing to change her; firstly she tickled the baby's tummy which made her let out a glorious giggle.

"This." Rick said gesturing to the space around them. "All o' this. Judith in a crib. You makin' her laugh; Carl not takin' a shit in the woods. This, it feels like we can really stay a while."

"You have such a nice way of puttin' it, Rick." She laughed before adding: "And, yeah. It does feel great being here with the kids; with you."

"Then why ain't you stayin' here with us?" Asked Rick as Carl finally came out of the bathroom and flopped down on the bed with his family.

"Yeah, Michonne." Carl began. "Why don't you just stay here with us?"

* * *

><p>AN: Well, the Grimes boys certainly know how to put the pressure on a lady. What ever will Michonne say?

More to come!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: A huge thank you for all of the reviews! The response to this has been amazing and your reviews have been so fun to read. Here4Funsies; Guest; Midnights-AM-Child; CodeName-M.e; HeartoSteel; lanie-love09; Lyra Verse; Alex311; FlyinByTheSeat; literaturechick; Super Estrella; and KyannaLashae thanks for making me smile :)

Here4Funsies: Hahaha cock-blocking Carl makes his return (now I'm supposed to write two one-shots with adult situations every time he shows up, yeah? I can't remember lol).

lanie-love09: To answer your question about writing vivid scenes, I use a lot of visualisation techniques. In this case, I wrote the scene then went back to read it to see how well I could visualise it. If there were instances where I couldn't picture it easily, I changed it because I really did want to be able to see a scene like that unfold.

Okay, let's check in!

* * *

><p><em>Presently…<em>

Michonne felt nervous as she waited in Rick's room. It really did seem as if this was it; this was the moment where they would become closer than they had previously been. Where the levels of intimacy between them would reach new heights. Michonne was not entirely sure of where the night would lead them, or if anything was actually going to happen, but the fluttering in her stomach reminded her that what had manifested between her and Rick was already something that was special and could only be made better from now on.

* * *

><p><em>The second day…<em>

The question rang in Michonne's ears a moment as she stared wide eyed at both father and son. They had outright asked her to stay with them, and now, as she quickly looked away from them, changed Judith's diaper and scooped the giggling baby into her arms, she was at a loss for words.

"Michonne?" Carl called to her, waiting for an answer. "Did you hear me?"

She looked at the boy then to his father and Rick noticed that her demeanour had changed; she looked like someone on one of those television quiz shows who was trying to find the answer to a question about ancient Mesopotamian religion or the like and there was the resounding ticking of a clock in the background to add to the tension. To put it simply, Michonne appeared to be under pressure to offer an answer and Rick did not want to make her feel that way; not since they had given in and admitted, through actions, a mutual attraction for one another.

"Son, it's fine; Michonne has a place to stay. We shouldn't be buggin' her…" Rick started before Michonne interjected.

"I do wanna stay here, Carl. But as you know, a house the size of the one they've given to Sasha, Daryl and I needs to have three or more people stay in it, well at least that's what they told us. So, ya see, I probably can't stay here with you guys, even if I want to."

Carl looked disappointed but nodded his head anyways.

"Okay. I get it. But Dad, maybe you should ask 'em about that rule 'cause it sucks."

Carl got up from the bed and walked around to where Michonne stood holding his sister; he grabbed Judith then headed for the door, before turning around to add more points to his argument.

"I mean, if it's about space or whatever, it won't matter here because the two of you can share this room. And if it's about saving water and stuff like that, it won't matter here 'cause us guys won't shower every day and the two of you can just share that shower. Anyways, go ask 'em, Dad. Okay, well, we're gettin' breakfast, right Judy?"

Carl offered Rick and Michonne a strange grin, then quickly left the room with his little sister.

"Well, his reasoning is a little off and I don't think he actually gets it." Rick offered. "But that sharin' a bed and shower idea sounds pretty good to me."

Rick smiled at Michonne teasingly but noticed she had begun to fidget and avert her gaze.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked, motioning for her to sit down on his bed again; Michonne chose to stand.

"Yeah, I'm fine…I just, I dunno. I'm a little confused, Rick. You know, about what just happened."

"Which part? You bein' great with my kids, me and Carl askin' you about stayin', or you kissin' me?"

"All of it." She answered coyly, then took up a seat on the bed.

"If it makes it easier for you, I ain't confused. I think it's pretty obvious that I feel differently about you than I do about the other women in our group." Rick said softly.

Michonne nodded and offered him a small smile.

"I know. I get that; and it's the same for me with you, but what does all of this mean for us? Is there even an 'us'?"

"This can mean whatever we want it to." He said evenly.

"But what if I don't know what I want, or I can't tell you what I want right away?" Michonne asked sincerely.

Rick sighed lightly then grinned a little.

"I'll tell you this much; _I_ want there to be an 'us'; I want you to know that _I _want you; and I want you to take all the time you need to figure out what _you_ want. Okay?"

Michonne smiled sweetly at Rick and then reached over and held his hand.

"Okay." She answered.

"And how about we just enjoy whatever it is that's happening and enjoy bein' around each other?"

Rick added as he slid over closer to Michonne and pressed an unhurried kiss to her mouth.

"Just take it day-by-day?" She whispered in reply.

"Yeah." Said Rick quietly before their lips met again in a somewhat deeper kiss.

_Tap tap tap_

"Rick? It's Tara. Can I please use your toilet?"

Rick inwardly cursed then answered Tara.

"Sure, come on in."

Both Rick and Michonne stood and left the room to give Tara some privacy that they were not being afforded. While heading downstairs Rick looked at Michonne and said in hushed tones.

"I'm tellin' everyone the toilet's blocked from now on."

* * *

><p><em>The second night…<em>

Rick finished taking watch and switched with Abraham around one o'clock in the morning. He crept into his bedroom quietly so as not to wake Michonne or Judith. He yawned softly as he undressed in the dark and pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms that Michonne had found for him at her place while sorting through what was left there by the previous residents. She left them draped over a chair for him as she knew he would not turn on a light when he returned from watch.

Rick trod softly as he made his way over to his bed; he used his hands to feel where he was going and drew back the sheets before slipping in next to Michonne.

"Rick?" She whispered as she rolled over to face him.

"Yeah." Came his reply as he sidled over closer to her, still lying on his back.

To his ardent enjoyment, Michonne sleepily snuggled up against him and placed her hand at his chest. She absentmindedly traced her fingers over his chest hair as his skin grew warm at her touch. Rick imagined how much warmer he would be if Michonne decided to trail her hand further down his body to the waistband of his trousers. She could so very easily then slip her hand into his pants and take hold of his now quivering…

"What time is it?" She asked in a tired sounding voice.

Rick was shaken from his not so pure thoughts and cleared his throat before answering.

"Past midnight. Sorry I woke you again." He said as he placed his hand over hers and rubbed his thumb over her fingers.

"It's okay." She offered as she leaned onto her elbow and supported her head with her hand. "This is nice."

Michonne then leaned down to place a gentle and chaste kiss to Rick's lips. As they came together in what she had intended to be a wholly innocent gesture, Rick immediately opened his mouth to deepen the kiss and slid his warm soft tongue in to meet Michonne's. She hesitated a moment before returning his passions with her own quickly ignited fervour. Rick rolled Michonne on to her back and ran his hand down the length of her firm body as they continued to devour each other in an unbroken kiss. She could feel his growing hardness pressed against her and in turn, felt her heated centre begin to pulsate.

His hand moved up under her tank top and came to rest at her breast; Michonne's breath hitched at the feel of Rick's calloused hand massaging her nipple until it stood erect. Their mouths parted a moment.

"You feel so good." Rick whispered huskily into her mouth before capturing it again with his own.

He then moved his hand down her abdomen, stopping just where her undergarment sat at her hip. Rick's hand stayed where it was as he gently stroked the delicate area between her navel and where her panties were.

"It's okay."

Michonne offered before reaching between their bodies, taking hold of Rick's hand and slipping it into her underwear. She moaned as Rick's fingers brushed over her core as he confidently kneaded her sensitive mound. He dipped a finger into her hot centre and was delighted to find that she was already wet for him.

"Fuck, you feel amazing." He whispered before pressing his mouth to the soft skin on her neck.

Rick's arousal ached inside of his trousers; he desperately wanted to free his length and enter her warm wetness, but he would not proceed unless she wanted him to.

"Do you have protection?" Michonne asked, slightly out of breath from Rick's ministrations at her delta.

Rick stopped his caresses and offered a quick 'yes'.

"In the bathroom." He said as he reluctantly rolled over and off of Michonne and reached for the flashlight that sat on the bedside table near where she slept.

Michonne sat up and kissed Rick's shoulder and ran her hand down his bare back. He stood and began to head to the bathroom to fetch the condoms that he had found. He had no intention of turning the flashlight on until he was closer to the bathroom as Judith was sometimes a light sleeper. Suddenly, a pain was felt at Rick's ankle as he stepped on something that twisted it and made him lose his balance. He swore loudly and stumbled near Judith's crib and fell against the wall with an audible thud.

"Fuckin' fuck!" He said as he quickly turned the flashlight on to see what had caused him to fall.

On the bedroom floor was one of Judith's rattles she had thrown from her crib. Before Michonne could ask if Rick was alright, Judith let out a distinct wail and sat up in her crib reaching for Michonne. Any excitement the tentative lovers had felt swiftly disappeared as the needs of the startled, grumpy, crying child in Michonne's arms took precedence over their own. It seems they were in for another restless night.

* * *

><p>AN: Bloody Hell! Clumsy Rick! Lol No wonder Judith's crib got wheeled out and put in the boys' room, right Alex311? Hahaha

More to come!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Good day, dear readers; it makes me smile that you've all found this fic to be amusing. I always have a good laugh at the reviews. Thanks to all who took the time to read and review. A huge hello to: literaturechick; Midnights-AM-Child; BabyKay47; KyannaLashae; Vika; Kam; HeartoSteel; KK; Aurora-of-Aragon; focusedOnProsperity; animefreak03; lanie-love09; CodeName-M.e; Alex311. Thank you all for the continued support and encouragement.

Hey, Lanie; it's so funny that you mention Richonne being like a married couple with kids, as that's what I was aiming for.

Okay, back to it.

* * *

><p><em>The third day…<em>

"You sure you're ready to settle into your own space?" Rick asked Daryl as he walked with him to his new residence. "We've been packed like sardines for so long, I reckon it might take some gettin' used to again."

Daryl nodded and glanced sideways at Rick.

"Yeah, but it be real good to sleep in a bed for a change. Though it don't look like it's been doin' you any favors."

He offered, taking in Rick's bedraggled appearance.

"Just ain't been gettin' much sleep these past couple o' days." Rick said, staring straight ahead.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Michonne too? She had four cups o' coffee at breakfast. Damn, Rick; give the girl a rest!"

Daryl joked while Rick looked over at him and chuckled a little.

"Ain't even like that." He offered quietly.

"Well why're y'all walkin' 'round with your eyes hangin' outta your heads? We all know y'all been sharin' your room the past couple nights. Come on, man. You don't gotta pretend, even if it ain't like that, I sure as Hell can tell you both want it to be like that."

Rick sighed; there was something to be said about living in close quarters with other people while you simultaneously fought for your lives. They had you and your intentions figured out to an extent, especially when you could scarcely hide your feelings towards another; that was just another level to the survival instincts everyone had developed. They knew what they saw and saw what they probably should not have. Either way, Rick had an inkling that some of his group knew that he and Michonne were _attracted_ to one another.

"Really? Who else knows?" He asked, listening to the amused chortle that Daryl had given in response.

"I dunno. Hard to tell. But hey, it ain't nobody's business but yours." Daryl said.

Rick nodded as they continued to walk in comfortable silence.

"Hey, what's wrong with the bathroom?" Rick finally asked after a while.

"What, at your place?"

"Yeah."

"Nothin'. Why?" Daryl asked, intrigued by the sudden shift in conversation.

"Ah, it's just that Carl and Tara and a few others have been askin' to use the toilet in our room."

"Oh, that's 'cause Eugene has what they call an irritable bowel or somethin' like that. Or as they say in the medical profession, he got one Hell of a stinkin' ass on him. I told him he had to go and shit in the backyard." Daryl said with a wide grin.

"Gee, man. Thanks for that." Rick said as he laughed uproariously.

"What's the big deal 'bout 'em usin' it anyways? Were they _interruptin' _y'all or somethin'?" He asked, still smirking.

"Somethin' like that." Rick offered. "While it's been good havin' everyone under the same roof, I'll be glad to get some privacy. Can't even scratch my balls without everyone knowin' about it. Some space would be nice."

"You remember Michonne's movin' out when we do, right?" Daryl asked, his smiled fading away.

"Yeah, I know. That's why I wanted some alone time with her without interruptions. Yesterday it was people wantin' to use the toilet, last night Judy woke up and it took ages to settle her. I dunno, maybe it just ain't happenin' so I should quit tryin'."

"That ain't like you to be givin' up, man." Daryl said. "This is what you need to do: just put 'Lil Asskicker in with the boys tonight; Hell, drag her crib in there if you have to and for fuck's sake don't answer the door if people come knocking. Or at the very least tell everyone they need to go shit outside, ain't like they've never done it before!"

Rick considered what his friend had said; it was as good as an instruction as any. Both men laughed at Daryl's advice and continued walking.

xXxXx

Michonne and Sasha sat with Judith on the floor in the lounge room of what was now their new home. They smiled as they watched the small child playing with some assorted toys that were given to her by a number of other residents. It was not a sight that many people saw anymore in the new world and the two women always took the time to appreciate it. Michonne yawned loudly and rubbed her eyes; Sasha offered her a teasing grin.

"What?" Michonne asked, looking at her friend

"Oh, nothin'. Just noticed you've been yawning all day; noticed you've been tired. Wait, actually, I've noticed you've been goin' to bed before all of us, but still wakin' up tired. Rick keepin' you up all night, uh?" Sasha asked.

Michonne felt her face grow warm; she was not ready for this type of teasing.

"It's not what you think." She answered plainly, knowing that it was exactly what she thought; well, almost.

"Then what is it?" Asked Sasha with a smile, not letting Michonne get out of her line of questioning so easily. "Come on. It's not like we haven't all seen how you two are together."

"How are we?" Michonne queried, a little intrigued as to how the rest of the group viewed her relationship with Rick.

"I dunno, like a married couple. It's not some coincidence that he offered for you to stay in his room with him and Judith. And I don't think you made him sleep on the floor." Said Sasha.

Michonne chortled incredulously, feeling as if she had been 'found out'.

"It's 'cause I was watchin' after Judy, that's all." She offered, not believing her own poor excuse.

"So was my brother, but you didn't hear Rick tell him to take the baby up and that he'd be there soon."

At this, both women burst out laughing; causing Judith to look at them and laugh too.

"Could you imagine it?" Said Michonne, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Ty probably would do as Rick asked him to." Laughed Sasha.

"Stop!" Michonne started. "There's barely enough room in that bed with me there, Tyreese and Rick would be pretty snug!"

The women continued to laugh and Judith crawled over to Michonne and was scooped up; she tugged at Michonne's hair. Once the laughter had died down, Sasha continued her interrogation.

"So, you _are_ sharing the bed. I knew it!" She said.

"Sasha, seriously; don't you have somethin' else to focus on?" Michonne asked, slightly amused.

"Nope, not really. We don't have a TV and watching you and Rick is just too entertaining." She said as they both laughed again. "So what's goin' on?"

"I don't know. We're still figuring that out. Plus there's no privacy in that house. It's like everyone always needs Rick for somethin' or has to ask him about this and that. It gets a little frustrating when we're just tryin' to, ya know, spend a quiet moment together."

Sasha nodded knowingly.

"It must be tricky, having people always look to you. He's been our leader for so long, I guess people are gonna have to get used to his role changin' a little."

They fell silent before Sasha continued.

"Why didn't you just stay with Rick and the kids?" Queried Sasha.

Michonne sighed before answering.

"I dunno. I guess we weren't ready to admit or acknowledge that there was somethin' between us. Then the allocations happened and it is what it is." Said Michonne.

"Well, we all know better than most how quickly things can change. And I'm happy for the both of you. Time is a fickle thing, it's nice to have something special while you can." Sasha said, becoming a little sombre as she thought of Bob.

Michonne placed a comforting hand to her shoulder and nodded.

xXxXx

_Presently…_

Michonne's nerves had begun to subside slightly as she waited in the small double bed for Rick; he was once again taking first watch of the evening. She had been anticipating the moment when they would both be free from distractions to do whatever it was that they desired in the privacy of his bedroom.

Michonne had taken Judith to Carl and Noah's room where the youngest Grimes was to sleep, and then made her way to where she had herself been sleeping recently. Michonne had showered quickly and dressed only in her panties and a tank top and tied her hair up. She had brushed her teeth and checked her appearance over in the bathroom mirror; while the shower had perked her up, as did the thought of Rick's arrival, her reflection appeared somewhat tired. The day had been a long one that followed on from the previous, restless night. She hoped Rick would not be too lethargic upon his return.

Michonne retrieved the condoms from the bathroom and placed them on the side table near the two green candles that were ablaze; the dancing flame threw her shadow on the wall as she stared at the contraceptives and felt the flutter in her stomach hasten. It was really going to happen; she and Rick were really going to be absolutely intimate with one another.

Michonne's face grew warm at the thought of it; she then remembers what Rick's touch had felt like the night before and her centre grew warm as well. She placed her legs on the bed and shifted into a reclining position while she waited for Rick to enter the room and satiate the desire that had presently built up inside of her.

xXxXx

Rick sat on the front porch of his new residence; his eyes scanning the darkened streets looking for anything or anyone that would threaten his family. His ears strained to listen to the surrounding area. Most of the residents of the Safe-Zone were in their homes, presumably sleeping; there were a number of people posted on watch around the settlement.

While Rick wanted nothing more than to be inside, upstairs, locked away with Michonne, he was a responsible man and loyal to his duties. It seemed as if time was moving more slowly than usual; Rick would occasionally shine his flashlight down at his watch to see how much time had passed, only to discover it had been merely minutes since last he checked.

His mind wandered to the previous night; he thought of how wonderful it had been to explore Michonne's body, even though it was for a brief time. The anticipation was rising and there was a twitch inside of his pants as he remembered how good she had felt; how her mouth had tasted; how her body responded to his touch; and how she wanted him too. Rick sighed as he settled in for what was going to be a long shift.

xXxXx

Rick quietly opened the front door and slipped inside of the house; he stepped softly as he made his way over to where Daryl was resting on the floor. A slight touch to his shoulder caused Daryl to wake up from his light slumber; he then headed for the front door to take watch while Rick crept up the stairs.

Rick reached the door of the children's bedroom, turned the handle gently and peered inside. Carl and Noah were sprawled out on their respective beds while Judith slept soundly in her crib in the corner. Rick smiled to himself and then closed the door. He made his way over to where his bedroom was, stood at the door a moment and sighed before entering.

Rick noticed right away that the room was lit warmly by candles, a nice touch, he thought. His eyes fell on Michonne who was presently fast asleep in his bed. He stepped closer to her and examined her features. She looked positively angelic when she was not wearing her concerned frown or stoic countenance; he felt the urge to brush his hand across her face. She looked so peaceful and beautiful and Rick immediately felt bad for intending to wake her. He saw how tired she was throughout the day and really did not want to disturb her slumber, even if he had needs of his own; he would put her need for rest before his need for _her._

Rick moved forward slightly and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead; Michonne shifted a little and mumbled something that was indecipherable before falling back into sleep. Rick smiled at the vision of her and crept away quietly. After changing his clothing, he slipped carefully into bed beside Michonne and tried not to touch her. Rick closed his eyes as the candles fizzled out; he drifted off into sleep soon thereafter, content that the people he loved were safe. That night, his dreams were filled with images of Michonne's bright smile.

* * *

><p>AN: Ooh, I think Rick's falling for Michonne hehehe Oh, and he's not giving up on trying to be with her, just looking after his lady!

More to come!


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